Landscape Lighting Questions, Answered

Most residential systems designed and installed by Austin Landscape Lighting land in a planning range of $3,500 to $12,000, driven mostly by fixture count and fixture grade. A focused front elevation with 8 to 12 fixtures sits at the low end; a layered front-and-back design with 30 or more fixtures, smart controls and tree moonlighting sits at the high end. Every written estimate is itemized, and the price we quote is the price you pay.

Most residential projects are installed in a single day. Low-voltage wiring is buried a few inches below mulch or turf, so there is no trenching through hardscape and no permits for the 12-volt side. We return after dark for a night aiming session, which typically takes one to two hours.

Yes. Every new system uses integrated or lamp-based LED fixtures in solid brass or copper. LEDs draw roughly 80 percent less power than the halogen fixtures common in older Austin systems, run cool, and are rated for 40,000 hours or more. We also retrofit existing halogen systems to LED.

For most Austin homes we recommend 2700K warm white. It flatters limestone, brick and wood, reads as natural rather than commercial, and is friendly to the dark-sky sensibilities of the Hill Country. We use 3000K on some modern architecture and cool-toned stone, and occasionally 2400K for a candlelit feel on patios.

A typical 20-fixture LED system draws about 100 watts in total, less than two old incandescent bulbs. Running it six hours a night costs roughly $2 to $4 a month at Austin Energy rates. You can check your own numbers with our LED savings calculator.

Fixtures are solid brass or copper with marine-grade seals and they are rated for direct burial and wet locations. Wire connections are made with waterproof, gel-filled connectors. Brass stakes and ground-mounted fixtures hold up to deer traffic far better than the aluminum fixtures sold at big-box stores.

Austin Landscape Lighting backs every installation with a two-year workmanship warranty covering wiring, connections, aiming and transformer setup. Fixtures carry their manufacturer warranties, which range from 10 years to lifetime on the brass bodies. If anything is not right, we come back and fix it.

We serve Austin and the surrounding communities: Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Westlake Hills, Rollingwood, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs. If you are nearby and do not see your city listed, call us; we are usually glad to make the drive.

Low-voltage (12-volt) landscape lighting does not require an electrical permit in most Central Texas jurisdictions. The transformer plugs into an existing exterior GFCI outlet. If a new 120-volt circuit or outlet is needed, a licensed electrician handles that portion with any required permit.

Yes. Austin Landscape Lighting repairs, retrofits and expands existing systems, including older halogen installs from other companies. We start with a system audit: transformer load, wire condition, fixture health and voltage at each fixture.

Low-voltage wire is buried a few inches deep in mulch or turf with a flat spade, not a trencher. Beds are returned to how we found them, and we route around roots and irrigation lines.

A Wi-Fi or Bluetooth controller replaces the simple timer. From an app you can set schedules tied to sunset, dim zones, create scenes for entertaining and turn everything off from bed. Voice assistants are supported on most systems.

Yes. Seasonal tune-ups include re-aiming fixtures that have shifted, trimming growth that blocks beams, cleaning lenses, checking connections and transformer settings, and replacing any lamps under warranty.

A designer walks the property with you, ideally at dusk, listens to how you use your outdoor space and notes the features worth lighting. Within a few days you receive a fixture-by-fixture plan and a written, itemized estimate.